Method of massage



Nov. 20, 1962 J. B. STEWART METHOD OF MASSAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 10, 1957 INVENTOR Jenmafl 575M427 ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1962 J. B. STEWART METHOD OF MASSAGE Original Filed June 10. 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JAMfi. 5 rad/1?? ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1962 J. B. STEWART 3,064,642

METHOD OF MASSAGE Original Filed June 10, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR JANA; 5. 5750427 ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1962 J. B. STEWART 3,064,642

METHOD OF MASSAGE Original Filed June 10. 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 74 78 i 66 29 r F" 80 f INVENTOR J4me: .5. Jam/A ATTORNEY trite The present invention relates to a method of massage by means of a table apparatus on which a human body may sit or recline and be subject to mechanical vibrations, and is a division of my United States patent application Serial No. 664,595, filed June 10, 1957, now Patent No. 2,924,216. Such tables are well known in the art and they have gone into limited use particularly in connection with physical therapy.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide a table of the class described in which improvements have been made in the arrangement, construction and operation of the vibrating means and in the areas of vibration so as to simulate the effects of Swedish massage.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the type described in which the supporting surface of the table is subjected to selective and localized areas of vibration to provide a novel method of mechanical massage.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described producing a massage method'in which there is a plurality of sources of vibration, said sources having both general and localized vibrational effects upon the body supporting surface of the table, the frequency and amplitude of the vibration of each source being selectively controlled.

A further object is to provide a vibratory table for simulating Swedish massage characterized by surges or out-of-phase vibrations which (a) impart a rippling action to the muscles of the body, (b) provide a gentle manipulation of the joints, and subject the areas of the body engaging the table surface with a gentle hacking or pounding motion.

A still further object of the invention resides in a method of simulating Swedish massage by imposing vibrations to produce surges and out-of-phase conditions upon a vibratory table surface.

A still further object is to provide an improved method of simulating Swedish massage in which a resiliently supported surface vibrates at one frequency and as localized areas within the same surface vibrating at a different and variable frequency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of simulating Swedish massage comprising steps of impressing a vibration of higher frequency lower amplitude upon a body supporting surface having an existing vibration of lower frequency higher amplitude.

A still further object is to provide a method of subjecting a human body to vibrations simulating Swedish massage comprising the steps of supporting the body upon a surface having a consistency comparable to human flesh and vibrating the support at out-of-phase frequencies to provide surges of impressed Vibrations to the body supporting surface.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification and claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a table taken from below,

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic layout showing the vibrating members removed from the table frame,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an eccentric weight shown removed from the motor shaft,

tent

ice

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the table taken on line VV of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 taken on line VI- VI of FIG. 1,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detailed view of the control panel shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed view shown in vertical cross-section of the spring supporting and vibrating structure,

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of the action of one of the vibrated members, and

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic layout of the electrical circuit.

Referring to the illustrated form of the invention, the table 10 is shown with a head end 12, a foot end 14, supporting legs 16, and a top supporting massage surface 18. The rigid vertical sides and ends 20 give marginal support to the pad 22. A control panel 24 is shown attached to one side 20.

In practice, the table It} is approximately seven feet in length to permit an adult person of normal height to comfortably recline upon the pad with the width approximately three feet to support the body well within the sides 20*. A main vibrating frame 26 which in the illustrated and above described form may be roughly two feet by six feet, is of relatively rigid structure. As shown the sides 28 of the frame 26 are of inverted U- section with L-section ends 30.

Sides 20 may be of plywood to which longitudinally-extending L-section rails 32 are attached to give sup-port to the springs 34 which in turn give support to the sides 28 of the frame 26. As shown, springs 34 are coiled with a lower horizontal projection 36 having an eye to receive a suitable fastener for securing the springs 34 to the rails 32. The remainder of the springs 34 are shown coiled about a vertical axis with an eye at the upper end to receive a suitable fastener for the attachment of the upper ends of each spring 34 to the sides 28. Space blocks 38 are shown inserted into the channels of the sides 28 at the location of each spring 34. Parallel to the ends 30 are spaced inverted T-section cross members 40, 42 and 44 attached at their outer ends to the sides 28. The L-section cross members 45, parallel to the sides 28, and extending between the end 30 and member 40 and between the member 40 and the member 42, complete the main vibrating frame 26.

The marginal support of the pad 22 by the sides and end 20 is supplemented by a plurality of planar members 46, 46' which are shown of rectangular shape but of varying area. The location, number and area of the members 46 depends upon the area of support and selective vibration of the pad 22 desired. For convenience of disclosure, the members 46 giving support to various areas of the pad 22 upon which various portions of the body are disposed, are shown in FIG. 3 removed from the table '10 and have been given the following legends: RS (right arm and shoulder), LS (left arm and shoulder), RL (right leg), LL (left leg), HS (hip and tip of spine), RH (right side of hips), LH (left side of hips), B (lumbar region), H (thoracic region), and F (feet). Members 46' shown on opposite sides of the area F function to support the pad 22 upon opposite sides of the area F which support the feet.

The members 46, 46 are supported from the members 28, 3t}, 40, 42, 44 and 45 of the frame 26 through springs 48 which may correspond in form and mounting to the spring 34. In FIG. 8 the manner in which the members 46, 46 are attached to the upper end eye of the springs 48 is clearly shown.

For providing general vibration of the pad 22 solely through vibration of the frame 26, an electric motor 50 is shown in FIG. mounted from the cross member 42 of the frame 26. Rotor shaft 52 of the motor '50 is shown unbalanced by oif center weights 54 attached thereto. Rotation of the motor 50 will vibrate the frame 26 on the springs 34. This vibration is transmitted through the springs 48 to the members 46, 46' and hence to the pad 22. V

' In the illustrated embodiment, each member 46 has depending therefrom on a pair of springs 56, a motor 50' which may correspond in all respects to the motor 50 on the frame 26 Referring to FIG. 7, the control panel 24 has an off and on toggle switch 58 for controlling the cooling fan 69 which draws air in through the grill 62 and blows it into the interior of the table to remove the heat of the motors and rheostats. An indicator light 64 is located in the electrical circuit of the fan 60 to show that the fan is operating. Switch 66 is connected in circuit with the rheostats 68 and the dial selector 70 through which the speed and selective operation of the motors 50, 50' is controlled. Preferably, several of the motors 50 have dual control in that in addition to their selection and operation through the selector 70, they each have an'independent circuit. Thus, the switch 72 and rheostat 74 control the motor 50 of the RH area of FIG. 3; switch 76 and rheostat 78 control the motor 50 of LH area; switch 80and rheostat 82 control the motor 50' of RL area; switch 84 and rheostat 86 control the motor 50 of LL area. Obviously, this arrangement may be extended to cover with individual control each of the members 46. r

In FIG. 10 is shown the electrical wiring diagram in which the grounded three-prong plug 88 carries three wires, the ground wire being connected to the frame 26 and 110 v. alternating current being carried by the other two wires to the control panel 24 and'hence to the various electric motors. For convenience, the motors 50, 50'

have been numbered 1 to 11 in FIG. 10 and conform to stations 1 to 11 on the dial selector 70 of FIG. 7. It will also be noted from FIG. 7 that the stations 2 to 11 of the selector 70 are keyed to the areas RS, LS, RL, LL, HS, RH, LH, B, H and F of FIG. 3.

To describe in greater detail certain of the components of my improved table, in the present commercial form of my invention for the adult table motors 50, 50' having a rated A H.P. and wound to be regulated over the desired speed range bythe rheostats and weighing approximately 1 lb. 8 02.. give satisfactory performance with the frame 26'of light section aluminum. Springs 34 and 48 are wound in the manner of the spring 48 shown in greater detail in 'FIG. 8, being of conical shape with the overall length 2%, with a taper from top' to' bottom of 1% to 1%". The springs 34, 48 and 56 are wound from 1155" hard drawn steel spring wire. Spring 56,

'as shown in FIG. 8 is conically wound with an overall length of 2% with a taper from top to bottom of 1%" to1%. 7

While it must be appreciated that the simulation of Swedish massage may be accomplished within the scope of the present invention in varying degrees, I have found that with the motors 50, 50" and the springs 34, 48 and. 56 'of the design described above in detail that excellent results are obtained if the weight 54 upon opposite ends of the'shaft 52 of each motor 50, 50' is fabricated from hexagonal aluminum bar stock with alength of 2" and with the Mt cross hole 54 located from one end. The weight of such a piece of material will be approximately 1 /2 oz.

sponge rubber or foamed plastic of the desired consistency.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic showing, illustrating the gyration of the members 46 in their relationship to the pad 22 and the frame 26. With the members 46 marginally supported on the springs 48 and the motors'50' depending from the pair of springs 56, the out-of-balance forces on the shafts 52 cause the members 46 to vibrate about a neutral axis 47, the amplitude depending upon the speed of the motors. It will be understood that the load upon the pad 22 will aifect the amplitude of the members 46 and that as a result the amplitude of the shaft 52 will not necessarily conform to that of the members 46.

To simulate Swedish massage, my improved table has been designed to be capable of a sequence of manipulations employed in Swedish massage. To this end the dial selector 70 has a normal rotatable switching knob 90 capable upon rotation to selectively connect the electrical conductor 92'with any one of the electrical conductors 94 of positions 1 to 10 of the dial selector'70, all in a well known manner. With the knob 90 at station 1, as shown in FIG. 10, and the switch 66"on, motor 50, No. 1 of FIG. 10, will cause the frame 26 to vibrate and the entire area of the pad 22 will be subjected to a generally uniform vibration, the frequency of which may be varied by rotating the rheostat68. Under these conditions the entire body of a person reclined upon the pad 22 will be subjected to a gentle massage.

Rotation of the knob 90 clockwise from station 1 to station 2 will stop motor 56 and the vibration of the frame 26 thereby and start motor No. 2 of FIG. 10 of the ten different motors 50 depending from the members 46. This will cause vibration of the member 46 associated with the area RS of FIG. 3' and therportion of the pad 22 immediately supported by area RS will be vibrated in the manner shown in FIG. 9 and the right arm and shoulder muscle will be massaged with the frequency of vibration controlled by rotating the rheostat 68 between its high and low positions. With the knob 0 rotated from station 2 to station 3, the No.3 motor of FIG. 10

will be operated, the area LS of FIG. 3 will be vibrated and the left arm and shoulder muscle will be massaged Proceeding in a similar manner from station 4 to station 11, inclusive, will result in the massaging sequences of right leg, left leg, hips and tip of spine, right side of hips,

'left side of hips, lumbar region, thoracic region, and feet.

In each of stations 1 to 11 it will be understood that the motors No. l to No. 11 inclusive, may have their speed 7 of rotation and the resulting frequency of amplitude of vibration varied by manipulating the rheostat 68.

LH which are transmitted to the immediate adjacent'areas of the pad 22 and, hence, to the 'hip area of'the reclined body. As the weight and position of the'body upon the pad 22 will effect the form and amplitude of the surges and out-of-phase condition of vibration, some manipulation of the rheostats 74 and 78 is required to obtain the desired condition of operation.

The massage characteristics of the pad 22 may be further regulated and altered with the switch 66 on and the knob 90 at station No. 1. This will result in the frame 26 being generally vibrated by the motor 5t} (No. l'of FIG. 10) at one selected frequency and a portion of the superstructure of the'frame 26 being independently vibrated at the same or different frequency with any one or more of the switches 72, 76, 80 or 84 in on position. With this arrangement it becomes possible to impress one frequency and amplitude of vibration of the pad 22 upon another frequency and amplitude of vibration.

It will be understood that from the layout of the control panel of FIG. 7 and from the wiring diagram of FIG. that with the switch 66 off any one or all of the motors Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7 and 6 may be independently and variably operated either alone or in desired combinations. With the switch 66 on, any one of the motors Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10 and 11 may be operated by manipulating the knob 90 simultaneously with all or any one or more of the motors Nos. 4, 5, 7 and 8. While it has been found necessary in practice, if desired, the individual control provided for the motors 4, 5, 7 and 8 may be extended to include any one or more of the remaining motors.

In practice, it may be desired to massage the feet or thoracic region with high frequency, low amplitude vibration while at the same time subjecting the hip area to surges of lower frequency, high amplitude. This can be accomplished (1) with the switch 66 on and the knob 90 at either station 10 or 11 and the rheostat 68 adjusted for high motor speed and (2) with the switches 72 and 76 on and the rheostats 74 and 78 adjusted to give the desired frequency, amplitude and surge conditions. Moreover, other combinations and arrangements for massaging different parts of the body at the same time under different conditions will readily occur to those skilled in the art of massage and physical therapy.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is novel and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of subjecting a human body to vibrations to simulate Swedish massage comprising the steps of supporting the portion of the body to be massaged upon a planar surface having a consistency similar to human flesh, giving said surface parallel, planar and relatively rigid support from beneath, and oscillatorily vibrating said rigid support about a relatively neutral axis substantially parallel to and adjacent to the planes of said surface and said support.

2. A method as set forth in claim :1 wherein as an addi- I surface, directly supporting said surface from beneath and vibrating said surface at a first frequency and a first amplitude about a relatively neutral axis substantially parallel to said surface, and simultaneously imposing on said surface a second vibration of a second frequency and second amplitude which translates said neutral axis.

5. A method of subjecting a human body to vibrations to simulate Swedish massage comprising the steps of supporting the portion of the body to be massaged upon a planar surface, independently supporting portions of said surface, commonly supporting said independently supported portions, simultaneously commonly vibrating said portions at a first frequency and first amplitude in a direction transverse to the plane of the surface and vibrating selective individual supporting portions at a second frequency and second amplitude in a direction transverse to the plane of the surface whereby the resultant vibration of said surface produced by said first and second frequencies and said first and second amplitudes provides the massage vibration.

6. A method of subjecting a human body to vibrations to simulate Swedish massage comprising the steps of supporting the body on a planar surface having a consistency similar to human flesh, independently supporting adjacent portions of said surface rigidly from below, commonly supporting said independently supported portions, vibrating said independently supported portions with a common frequency and common amplitude, and additionally selectively oscillatorily vibrating said independently supported portions at a frequency and amplitude dissimilar to said common frequency and amplitude about an axis substantially parallel to and adjacent to the plane of said surface whereby the resultant vibration of the independently supported surface is produced by the summation of the common and dissimilar vibrations.

7. In a method as in claim 6 wherein adjacent supported surface portions are vibrated at out-of-phase frequencies whereby surges of impressed vibration are produced in the human body supported on the adjacent surface portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,602,196 Iverson Oct. 5, 1926 2,666,429 Alexander Ian. 19, 1954 2,715,901 Blake Aug. 23, 1955 2,771,875 Cason Nov. 27, 1956 2,917,043 Murphy Dec. 15, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 970,160 France June 7, 1950 

